The subject matter of the invention is an accessories box for a sewing machine as well as a system containing a sewing machine and an accessories box.
Accessories boxes for sewing machines are known. The accessories box on the sewing machine serves to keep accessories for the operation of a sewing machine, such as presser feet, spools or needles, in an ordinary fashion.
There are accessories boxes in the form of boxes which are kept separate from the machine, such as a sewing kit as shown in DE9100138U. This document shows a magnetic needle fastening in a sewing kit, by which various sewing needles can be secured. Thanks to the securing, the sewing needles can be located quickly and the risk of injury to the user from loose lying sewing needles is reduced. However, the fastening of larger parts by magnets has a drawback, which this fastening variant entails, namely, the weak holding force when subjected to shearing forces. For small, loose parts such as the needles of DE9100138U this is not a factor, but for large, bulky, heavy objects such as accessories boxes no fastening of the latter by means of magnets has been proposed thus far.
Such accessories boxes, which are connected to a portable or transportable machine, are known not just in the field of sewing machines. For example, CN204223062U shows an accessories box which is accommodated in a housing of a motor scooter. Such accessories boxes can be used to store tools which may be needed for the operation of the machine. Therefore, when a machine is transported, the right tool to operate the machine or fix simple malfunctions of the machine on site is always available thanks to the accessories box which is carried along. CN204223062U shows a magnetic holding device for a lid of the accessories box. But the lid remains constantly connected to the housing of the motor scooter by a hinge element, so that when the lid is closed the magnets located there are exactly aligned with the magnets located in the housing.
Accessories boxes are also used for sewing machines, which can be fastened to the sewing machine so that they can be transported with the sewing machine, especially for portable sewing machines for household use.
Such an accessories box can be arranged on the rear of the sewing machine when it is not in use. Before the sewing machine is placed in operation, the accessories box is released from the sewing machine and set up on the work table or secured to a wall.
Such an accessories box is fastened to the rear side of the sewing machine when the sewing machine is out of operation. For this, such accessories boxes usually have mechanical fastening means, such as snap connections, which have locking means. Such locking means are usually made of plastic and are manually opened or closed by the user applying a pressing force. Due to the many possible locking means and their different modes of operation, the user can make a mistake when using them. If too great a force is applied in the wrong direction to the locking means due to such a mistake, the locking means can become ruined. A damaged locking means generally results in impaired functionality, if not unusability of the entire accessories box.
The currently used locking means also comprise projecting locking elements, which can likewise get broken off by careless handling, so that the accessories box becomes unusable or loses at least part of its use, as it can no longer be fastened for transport and storage to the sewing machine. Projecting locking means on the underside of the accessories box can furthermore impair the stability of the accessories box. The accessories box is placed on the work table and allows the user while working at the sewing machine to exchange individual parts such as needles, spools, presser feet or the like and stow away the no longer used parts. Therefore, one design requirement of the accessories box is that it can be placed in the most stable manner possible on a level base, such as a work table, and it therefore requires a corresponding standing surface. Projecting bolts or other locking means reduce the standing surface. Furthermore, projecting bolts or feet have the drawback of making the manufacture of the accessories box more costly. Of course, it is possible to arrange the locking means with corresponding projections on the sewing machine. But such a variant is not advantageous if these locking means come into contact with the fabric, which can get caught on these locking means and suffer damage. In particular, the area of the free arm of the sewing machine should therefore be kept free of projections such as bolts, locking means, or the like. Therefore, if possible, no projecting locking means should be arranged on the sewing machine.
The option also exists to provide a locking mechanism in addition or as an alternative to the locking means. A locking mechanism comprises at least one movable bolt, which can be introduced by the user into a corresponding recess and in this way the accessories box can be fastened to the sewing machine. Such a bolt has basically the same drawbacks as a locking mechanism. In addition, the bolt must be led in a bolt guiding element. Therefore, an extra structural part is required with this variant, which can increase the manufacturing costs of either the accessories box or the sewing machine.